“Later, when I wake up…..” Jiyong whispered right next to Ae Ra’s side, fingers entwined with hers while slowly walked with her on the crowded pavement. “....I wanna be able to hold your hands for real and walk freely in public like this.”

Ae Ra turned to look at him and smiled. “I guess it was hard for you, as a celebrity, to do normal things like that.”

“You have no idea.” Jiyong sighed, absentmindedly squeezed her hand while looking left and right, enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere which was crepting into each and every corner of Seoul city. “It was impossible.”

“My first girlfriend was not someone famous, and I just debuted for a short time at that time, we still managed to have normal dates.” He chuckled, thinking about that fool first love he ever had. But he never regretted the things he did in the past, because those were what made the person he was today.

“How about the others?” It was very subtle, but Jiyong could sense the curiosity in Ae Ra’s voice. She smiled politely at some people who recognized her as “the other girl in G-Dragon’s accident” ogling at her shamelessly, appeared to be nonchalant about what she just asked him.

“Yeah, they’re all celebrities like me, so, things were a bit tough when it came to dates.” Smirking, Jiyong answered her questioned while carefully observed her reaction.

“I see.” Ae Ra shrugged, adjusted the scarf around her neck. “It’s really cold today.” She hissed in the air.

“I told you to put on more warm clothes.” Jiyong said disapprovingly. He walked in front of her and adjusted the scraft more securely wrapped around her neck. “If I were real right now, I would buy the warmest and biggest and prettiest scarf in this world for you.”

“And the most colorful.” Ae Ra commented amusedly, momentarily forgot that there’re many people looking at her.

“Yah, I think that rumor is true.” Someone near them whispered in an urgent voice. “She really talks to herself!”

Tensed up, Ae Ra quickly glanced around before clearing , embarrassedly walked away faster, with a deep chuckle rang up behind her back by Jiyong. She huffed when she reached to where her car was parked, shooting a glare at him.

“Yah, people think I am crazy, is that funny?” She asked annoyingly, grunting while opening the driver door.

“No, I am amused at how much you understand me.” Jiyong smirked, seated himself comfortably next to her on the passenger seat. “Yes, it will be the most colorful scarf.” He grinned bashfully at her.

Ae Ra turned to look at Jiyong like he was the biggest idiot in this world. “Seriously, Jiyong?” Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and fastened her seat-belt, ready to drive away the crowded street.

Unhurriedly, Ae Ra slowly opened her eyes and taking a deep breath. Facing the white ceiling, Ae Ra rested her hand on her forehead, pulling the blanket up closer to her chest. It was no surprising to Ae Ra. Each night an old memory with Jiyong would invade her dream, and there was not a day since 3 years ago she woke up without thinking of the name “Jiyong” first and foremost.

Not even a single day she didn’t miss Jiyong.

Ae Ra didn’t know if it was a happiness or a torture, dreaming about old memories with him. No matter where she went, no matter how far she went from Korea, it was no avail, the memories about Jiyong were still etched deeply in her mind. She thought it would be lessened after a year, but one year, two, then three, Ae Ra still found herself thinking about Jiyong everyday and dreaming about him every night.

The doorbell rang suddenly, pulling Ae Ra out of her thoughts. Frowning, Ae Ra glanced at Nara. She was still in a deep sleep, Nara was always a heavy sleeper. Ae Ra quickly got up and dashed to the living room, quietly closing the bedroom door.

I knew it would be like this. Ae Ra groaned when she took a look at the monitor screen which indicated who was their guest, furiously messed up her hair. She was not ready to face him yet. At least not now, she was just woken up for heaven’s sake.

Nevertheless, Ae Ra still pressed the open button, tried to make herself presentable as much as she could and folded her arms together.

“N-n-n-noona, I’m sorry to disturb you this early.” Ae Ra watched silently as Seungri scurried himself through the door, bowed deeply and stood there awkwardly. “I-I-I-I need to talk with Nara.” He said in a small voice, refused to look at her in the eyes.

“She’s still asleep.” She sighed and walked into the house. “Come in, I’ll wake her up.”

“No no no need to do that n-n-noona.” Ae Ra noticed how uncomfortable for Seungri to call her as noona. “Let she sleep some more, I’ll wait.” He looked around as if to find some place to wait for Nara.

“Don’t call me noona if you’re not that alright with it.” Ae Ra commented at the entrance of the kitchen. “Suit yourself then, Seungri-ssi.” She went to the kitchen and drank a glass of water, prepared one for Seungri and brought it out for him.

“Thank you, n-noona.” Seungri took the glass from her hand with a bow. “And no, of course I need to call you noona, noona.” He got calmer and calmer after each time repeating the word noona.

“Alright, if you say so.” Ae Ra shrugged. “Nara will wake up any minute now, just wait a bit more.”

“W-where are you going, noona?” Seungri asked when he saw Ae Ra turned her back on him. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

“Later.” Ae Ra shook her head. “I just woke up if you haven’t noticed, so, bathroom first.” Without waiting for his response, Ae Ra already went back inside the bedroom.

Looking at the sleeping form of Nara still laid unmoving on bed, Ae Ra tsked and came to pull off the blanket, spank her sister’s lightly. “Yah, wake up kid.”

“No….” Nara protested weakly, using her pillow to cover her head. “5 more minutes unnie.” She mumbled disapprovingly.

“Wake up, your precious fiance is waiting for you outside.” Ae Ra said in a clear and authoritative voice before opening the bathroom door.

“What?” Nara jolted up immediately. “Who?”

“Outside, in the livingroom.” Ae Ra replied with a yawn and closed the door, ignored to whatever gonna happen out there.

____

“.....I’m sorry Natalie, I really am. Stop being angry with me, can you?”

After satisfying that she was ready for the day, Ae Ra stepped out of the bedroom, walking into the seem-to-be serious conversation between the couple.

Natalie? Seungri used Nara’s English name as his pet name for her? Inwardly, Ae Ra chuckled.

“Oh sorry.” Ae Ra waved off when the couple noticed her appearance. “Just continue what you guys are talking about. I’ll go out now.”

“No unnie, I’m done talking with him. There’s nothing to talk anyway.” Nara stood up determinedly. “Wait me a bit, I’ll change and we will go out to have some food.”

“Natalie, wait!” Seungri grabbed Nara’s arm. “This is ridiculous! How come you let this affect our relationship?” He clutched on her arm tightly, his voice was desperating.

“Then what did my sister do wrongly for you to treat her like that?” Nara shouted and brushed Seungri’s hand away. “How could you be so mean to her, when all she did was taking care of Jiyong oppa?”

“Hey hey, Nara, calm down ok?” Ae Ra stepped closer to her sister’s side and put her hand on her back. “It was just a mere misunderstanding, he is right, don’t let this affect your relationship.” Ae Ra glanced at Seungri, who standing there helplessly. “Of course, that also depends on how you behave, Seungri-ssi.”

“The hell I will.” Nara turned to glare at Ae Ra too before storming into their bedroom again.

“What did you say? Why she’s that pissed?” Ae Ra sighed and sat down on the sofa, massaging her forehead. “I thought you already know how tempered she is.”

“Of course I know!” Seungri exclaimed, before hastily adding, “....noona.” He also sighed and threw himself on the sofa as well. “Why she’s so stubborn….” He mumbled in a defeated tone.

Ae Ra took a look at Nara’s fiance - she still needed time to get used to this idea, Seungri and Nara, fiance. He looked tired, his trademark dark circles under his eyes might get even darker over the night. It was as if he didn’t sleep for a whole night.

“Didn’t you sleep last night?” Ae Ra asked quietly, observed the tired man with hands on his head opposite to her.

“I couldn’t get any.” Ae Ra heard he replied in an equal quiet tone. “This is unexpected and shocking.”

Ae Ra raised her eyebrows annoyingly. That kid hadn’t changed at all, had he?

“When did you and Nara meet?” Ae Ra spoke up, and this caught Seungri’s attention since he immediately lifted his head up and straightened his back.

“2 and a half year ago.” He looked at Ae Ra nervously. “...noona.”

Ae Ra could not help but chuckling at his attempt of keeping inserting the word noona in his saying. “How?”

“We met at this club in Hongdae and later again when she came to my music show.” Ae Ra noticed Seungri often blinked his eyes when he’s talking.

“More than 2 years ago? Do you think engagement after only a bit more than 2 years of dating is too hurried?” She knew she didn’t really have the right to give any advice or judgement, since the only relationship she ever had was what she had with Jiyong, and that was enough to drive her crazy with depression. But she had to ask. Just to be sure, for them to know what they’re doing.

“If it was not because of my enlistment, we might get married a year ago noona.” For some reason, Ae Ra could sense the honest in Seungri’s answer. His look got softer, as if he was remembering back to that time, whatever it was.

“Why are you still here?” Nara’s cold voice broke the silent air around the living room, making both Ae Ra and Seungri jump a bit. “Didn’t I tell you to leave?” She re-appeared with make-up face and a suit, like she was about to go for work.

“Natalie…..”

Nara grunted. “Unnie, do you wanna visit our company? They might wanna meet their big boss for the first time.” Nara turned to Ae Ra, completely ignored Seungri’s miserable expression.

“Oh...okay.” Ae Ra shrugged. “Just wait me a bit, I need to grab my things.”

When she was about to open the bedroom door to retrieve her purse and phone, she heard Nara told Seungri in a clear voice. “Unnie is as important as what we are having. If you still don’t know what to do, we cannot until you do.”

“What is that?” Seungri asked frustratedly. “You were never like this before! I thought you knew how sick I am of girls trying to be mysterious.”

Ae Ra was ready to turn back and teach that spoiled kid about shutting up his mouth, but Nara again spoke up coldly. “Ever since yesterday, you surely had numerous chances to apologize unnie, yet I see you still show no sign of doing that up to this moment.”

“A-a-a-a-apologize?” Seungri stuttered.

“What? Don’t tell me you never thought of that!” Nara shouted. “What you did was wrong, wasn’t it?”

“Enough Nara.” Ae Ra turned around and said in a sharp voice. “Drop it.”

“Unnie!”

“Are you two children anymore?” She snapped. “Grow up, stop bickering like you’re in grade 5. You two are engaged for heaven’s sake.” She turned the doorknob. “Seungri-ssi, please leave. Nara, I said stop.” She scowled when Nara was about to open again.

Ae Ra turned to leave when she heard Seungri stammered with his voice. “N-n-noona….” He called with so much difficulty. “I’m….s-s-s-sorry.”

She sighed and faced them again, this time she took a long look at Seungri. The kid looked nervous and worried

“Calling me noona or saying an apology, just do it when you really mean it.” She said meaningfully. “I will say this only once. This, you two being together, has nothing to do with what happened 3 years ago with me. What passed is passed, honestly I don’t wanna talk about that time anymore, so please, just let it go. Nara, if you really feel he’s the right one, just do it, I have no against really. And you, Seungri-ssi, if you really don’t care about Nara being my sister, and still respect and love her with all your heart, if you’re sure that you can take care of her for the rest of her life, you too, just do it. If not, then please re-consider your choice of marriage.”

Ae Ra stopped in the middle of her leave. “Again, please, let 3 years ago go, I beg you two”

[Teaser]

“I love you, Jiyong.”

Jiyong woke up with a gasp. She was back.